Cathy Taylor asked:


Most women recognize that a hot flash is a sign of menopause, even if they aren’t sure what one feels like. But what about all of those other uncomfortable symptoms such as un expected migraines, or mood swings that cause you to weep uncontrollably at the site of a newborn baby? How can we be sure what we are experiencing is menopause, and what can we do to make ourselves more comfortable?

First of all, know that you are not alone.

Menopause currently affects more than 50 million women in the US. As a result, we are finding more and improved ways to cope with the numerous physical symptoms that can appear during the mid-life transition. This time can also come with a plethora of emotions we aren’t necessarily accustomed to dealing with. The good news is that when a woman enters the second half of her life, the change can be beautiful if we become aware of what is happening to us on a physical, mental and emotional level.

In some ways, menopause feels like a rush to the finish line which can be fun for some and too much pressure for others. It often comes at the same time we are facing huge life challenges such as an empty nest, losing loved ones, shifting marital roles, and/or taking care of elderly parents. Is it any wonder many of us find it overwhelming?

One thing is for certain, if you have any unfinished business that you have been sweeping under the carpet, it’s going to rear its head during menopause. As Dr. Christiane Northrup says in her book, The Wisdom of Menopause, “menopause puts your life under a microscope. It’s a time when we reflect on our life lived, and decide what we want to do with the rest of it. A time of getting to know you, all over again as well as of self care and healing.

Let’s address some of the changes your body might be going through and what can be done about them. The debate remains between traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the new bio-identical and alternative therapies. The intent here is to just lay out options so you can make an intelligent decision for yourself as well as review ways to find some practical help.

 

Menopause is a natural process in every woman’s life, but because of the way it is treated like an illness by some doctors, women often feel confused and devalued. On the other hand, many women find a renewed sense of vigor at menopause. This transition brings the chance to accomplish all of those things that we have put on the back burner. It can be a sweet time because women are much smarter at this stage of life and know how to relax and enjoy themselves better.

Being aware of the signs of menopause is crucial in being able to help yourself. Menopause is defined by our cycle’s cessation for at least 12 consecutive months. As a result, in a lot of cases, what women refer to as menopause is really perimenopause.

 

Perimenopause occurs as our reproductive function begins to wind down. It generally hits in the late 40s or early 50s and lasts for 2 to 4 years. During this time, our body makes less and less estrogen as we lose the ability to become pregnant. You may experience skipped periods or they could even stop for a while and then restart. You may have hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, weight gain and mood swings. You might begin having trouble sleeping. Vaginal dryness can start to play havoc with your sex life.

 

Remember, menopause symptoms are caused by an imbalance of female hormones. Symptoms can last a few months, while others may persist for years. Some women are bothered greatly by the symptoms of menopause, while others have very few complaints.

 

It’s important to note that natural menopause is different from what women who have surgery experience. Women who have had a hysterectomy can undergo what is labeled “surgical menopauseâ€? and the symptoms are experienced instantly post surgery. This type of induced menopause can also occur if the ovaries are damaged by chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Here are some general survival tips that you can do right away that will make a significant difference in dealing with your menopause symptoms:

              

·         Make healthy food choices- eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Avoid fatty, fried voids and drink plenty of water.

 

·         Get 30 minutes of exercise every day it doesn’t have to be strenuous! Walking is perfect as are dancing, swimming or cycling.

·         Maintain a healthy weight range if you do these first two tips, you don’t have to worry about this one.

 

·         Keep magnesium handy some women find relief from headaches, palpitations and constipation by taking magnesium.

·         If you smoke, STOP! It’s never too late.

·         Avoid caffeine, alcohol and excess salt and sugar.

 

·         Find ways to reduce stress like getting plenty of sleep, keeping your sense of humor and learning how to pamper yourself (this can be the fun part of getting older).

          

Last but certainly not least, find a doctor that will work with you on whatever treatment you choose. Keep in mind that most western doctors, unless they specialize in endocrinology, did not spend a lot of time studying hormones. Nor can a man know what you are going through because he hasn’t been there. But many doctors are now learning more about integrative medicine and there are lists available of these practitioners across the US.

Some women still believe in and continue to take HRT. With the advent of the recent Women’s Health Initiative report that indicated women taking HRT suffered from more heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, you may want to seek out alternative treatments. Find a good news source to keep up to date on these research studies.

 

There are plenty of natural options that can soothe symptoms. Read up on bio-identical hormones. I have been able to balance out declining progesterone levels with an over-the-counter cream. Within days I was relieved of debilitating mood swings, irritability and the occasional hot flash. I also fight depression with 5HTP.

 

There are great forums on the internet where women talk about their issues and what they tried that did and didn’t work. Join an online discussion group so you don;t feel alone. With so many alternatives available to women today, there is no need for any of us to suffer through menopause.



Sheila

Raj Kumar asked:


What is Menopause? Menopause is not a strange disease or an infirmity that sucks our sleep and life. In other words, the change or the halt of the menstrual cycles results in menopause. If the menopause stops before the age of 40 then it is called the early menopause. It is stated in the research that nearly 15%of the women are affected by early menopause.

If the ovaries in women run out of the functioning eggs then it results in menopause. The symptoms of early menopause are very much similar to that of the natural menopause. The symptoms of early menopause are: rapid decline in estrogen. The reduction in the count of estrogen makes you easily affected by early menopause. The women may experience several symptoms during this period. Some of the symptoms are hot flushes, night sweats, aches and pains, itching sensations, head aches, tiredness, reduced sex drive, frequent urination, depression, loss of sleep, forgetfulness, inactiveness, vaginal dryness etc. The emotional problems are also related to the early menopause. The women who undergoes surgical menopause also experienced the symptoms of early menopause.

The Pelvic surgeries such as hysterectomy causes early menopause. Some of the women feel uncomfortable during sexual intercourse it is also a symptom of early menopause. The depression in mind is also one of the reasons. It can be overcome when one relax their mind by talking with the counselor.

The recommended tips for the early menopause treatment are:

-    Relieving of menopausal hot flashes by hormone therapy. The hormone therapy naturally reduce the hot flashes, vaginal dryness, slowing bone loss, improve sleep, and reduce mood swings.

-    The hot flashes can be reduced by Gabapentin, and it is an approved one to treat seizures.

-    Cyclical therapy where the count of estrogen can be improved by taking pills or a patch.

-    The emotional burst out resulting in the high blood pressure is one of the main reasons. It can be treated by taking pills or patch like Clonidine.

-    The estrogen count can be administered locally by using vaginal tablet, ring or cream.

-    The intake of Soy that contains phytoestrogen can help women to overcome early menopause.

-    The intake of medications and drugs that contain bio-identical hormones can free the women from early menopause. It is highly recommended for the women to undertake treatments only after proper consultation with the doctors.

-    The Estrogen therapy is also available in the market. It can be taken either as pills or the food items that have estrogen are highly recommended. The estrogen prescribed for you can be taken orally so that it get directly into the GI track and end up predominantly as estrogen.

-    Regular physical exercise will relieve or help us to free from the discomforts of menopause. It is highly recommended for the women to have strong, healthy and fit physic.

-    The intake of healthy food items that has fats, vitamins and calcium are important to increase the count of estrogen.

-    There are also some ayurvedic, herbal and acupuncture treatment to overcome the problems of early menopause. These treatments are highly advisable as they have no side effects.

-    Progesterone is another therapy used to treat early menopause. It is either synthetic or in forms of pills. It should be taken orally to overcome the emotional ups and downs of women. It helps a lot to free women from high blood pressure.

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Jack

Kate-Ann asked:


Why does menopause cause meanness?
I notice that women tend to be a little mean when going through “the change”
Why?
How long does menopause last?
Women are kind of crazy during menopause.
My mom sure is moody lately.I can’t wait for her to be done.I don’t live with my parents but when I visit she can be a little mean sometimes lately.
How long does it last?
Why are menopausal women so mean?

Cory

Rebecca Prescott asked:


The term post-menopausal sometimes needs a little clarification. It is usually applied to women who have completed the menopause, meaning they have not had a period for over twelve months. This can be due to a natural menopause, or a surgery induced menopause. Women who are taking hormone replacement therapy are not considered to be post menopausal as they may experience symptoms of the menopause when they stop this treatment.

Common post menopausal problems can be experienced any time from the onset of the menopause onwards. After the menopause, women never really stop being post menopausal. Most of the physical and emotional problems that women encounter after the menopause are caused by decreasing hormone levels, particularly estrogen.

Conditions relating to the vagina and bladder are often experienced post menopause because these parts of the body require estrogen to remain healthy. Thinning of the tissue in these areas can cause incontinence, bladder infections, growths or polyps in the uterus, and vaginal dryness, as well as an increased risk of uterine cancer.

Other serious physical conditions linked to post menopausal women are osteoporosis and heart disease. Osteoporosis is common as women begin to lose bone density more rapidly due to reduction in estrogen. Risk of heart disease is increased due to atherosclerosis, or the hardening of their arteries.

Emotionally, post menopausal women may experience depression, fatigue due to insomnia, hot flashes and night sweats, and a reduction in self confidence and libido. Although these emotional responses can be triggered by hormonal changes, they may also be related to other factors. Reaching the menopause, and the changes happening in her body, may make a woman feel old, unattractive and worthless and these feelings can trigger depression and lack of sex drive.

So what can post menopausal women do to limit these common problems? Exercise is one crucial way to control these conditions. While we are not talking about running marathons, some exercise such as walking, gardening and light aerobics can have a wide range of benefits.

Exercise keeps bones, joints and cartilage healthy, guarding against osteoporosis as well as arthritis. It reduces the risk of heart disease by stimulating circulation, controls weight, and enhances emotional wellbeing.

Maintaining a healthy diet is another way for post menopausal women to remain problem free. They may want to think about supplements such as vitamin D and calcium to guard against osteoporosis. Not smoking may not only put off the menopause by a couple of years, it will also reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Using progesterone creams may keep the vagina and bladder area healthier, and make intercourse more comfortable and therefore more appealing.

There are many problems associated with post menopausal women, but by exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy lifestyle they don’t have to mean a huge decrease in quality of life.



Shawn

Richard asked:


Most women experience the symptoms of menopause around their late forties and in their early fifties. This is a phase in a woman’s life that is associated with changes that indicate the end of her reproductive years and it is a very difficult time to manage. During menopause your menstrual cycle will become irregular and the ovaries stop functioning. The result of menopause is that less estrogen hormones are produced and this is the real cause of the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause.  Women may start being affected by the symptoms of menopause even though they may still be menstruating though periods will be irregular. There are some effective treatments for menopause that can be prescribed by your doctor or natural herbal products like Menozac that effectively treat the symptoms which can be purchased from health stores, but make sure to investigate their effectiveness first.

 

What Are the Unpleasant Symptoms of menopause.

 

If you are a man that is married to a woman during menopause, then you will know how difficult this stage in a woman’s life is. This is a time when they will experience symptoms indicating menopause, like hot flushes, mood swings, night sweats, aggression, anxiety and even bouts of depression. Some women even complain of itchiness in the genital area, burning and even pain during intercourse. There can be more frequent urination at night and in some woman urinary incontinence can appear. The lack of estrogen can also help the onset of osteoporosis due to decreasing bone mineral density.

 

Men need a lot of patience and understanding during this time considering all the unpleasant symptoms a woman can experience during menopause. These symptoms of menopause are extremely frightening for some women and your support as a husband is vital to help her through it every step of the way.

 

Treating Menopause.

 

The most effective treatment of menopause is that of hormone therapy and treatment should start as soon as the symptoms of menopause become apparent. It is more sensible seeking a doctor’s advice and they will assist you in finding suitable treatments that are worked out according to your age and overall status of your health. There are various more natural treatments for menopause you can investigate yourself, which will help you effectively manage the symptoms of menopause like natural herbal Menozac for example.

 

Reading up information on menopause will also help you better understand it as well. Your family support during this period of your life is the most important pillar that you need to get through menopause. You can also help them understand that you are not crazy or turning into a monster. Menopause is a natural stage in every woman’s life or as the older generation called it the New Celebrated change in a woman’s life. Managed properly using the right products it will not be half as bad as what I could be.



Melanie